Hatch Done! Yahoo!!

[Steve Frederick]

Hello Everyone! Well, I got through the dreaded hatch assembly, with a few engineering challenges. It came out well, I think!

Also puttered with the varnishing of the cabin.
I just updated the journal for those who may be interested!
Latest Updates
Thanx for the support, Steve

[BufordT]

Good job on the hatch there Steve.

Bufordt

[mikeschn]

Wow, that hatch is gorgeous. Your woodworking skills are absolutely fantastic! Can I take lessons from you?

Mike...

[Steve Frederick]

Thanx, Mike! I wouldn't make it as a wood worker..unles I could survive on $1/hour Thanx again!
Steve

[beverlyt]

Steve,
That is a beautiful hatch! Wish ours had turned out as perfect. I can't wait to see your trailer done. Bet it's going to be really nice!
Bev

[Jiminsav]

wow man, thats one pretty piece of work...now come to my house and do my hatch..the laminated ribs i made ain't gonna cut it..too much bend..i'm upset..i made 40 dollars worth of firewood

[mikeschn]

Are you going to share a picture of your $40 firewood with us? You know, Dave from camp TDK made wheel chocks with firewood.

Mike..

[Steve Frederick]

I'm saving all of my mistakes/scraps to make my first campfire while on my first Teardrop trip! :idea:
Steve

[Jiminsav]

Sure mike..i'm not proud..*g* i didn't take any pics of the luan screwed all the way down, but you can see the frame is got a wicked bend in it.

[mikeschn]

Duh... now why didn't I think of that. I've been whining to my wife that I don't have a wood burning stove, and have to send the scrap wood out to the curb to be picked up by the rubbish. Then I whine that I have to take the 40# propane bottle to get it refilled. I should have started cutting it up as firewood for my teardrop trips. Well now that you've enlightened me, I will start saving my scraps for camping trips. Even if it's only used as a fire starter! Your first class was a success! When's the next class? :kermit:

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Yea, I see the problem Jim. You don't have any structural rigidity in the radial direction. It like trying to take a cooked noodle, and wrap plywood around it and hope that it stays put.

If I were you I would go to your local wood store, and buy a 2'x4' sheet of 3/4" baltic birch. That has 11 plys in it. That'll give you good radial structural rigidity! Double up the end pieces, and put lots of cross bracing in it!

See, I started with a 2x4' piece too! ;-)

Sure mike..i'm not proud..*g* i didn't take any pics of the luan screwed all the way down, but you can see the frame is got a wicked bend in it.

[Steve Frederick]

Jim,
I think that the cool thing about the Kuffel Creek hatch, is the use of a gussett. This method never places any component under torture..stress that will cause the hatch to try to revert to the lumber's original form. Other than the solution to my hatch seem, there were no issues relating to torsion. The hatch seems to be staying where it is.
Go with the ply, like Mike suggests. Maybe you could make the ribs a little thicker in the center for more strength?
Steve

[Jiminsav]

say fellows..you must be reading too much into it..the radial ain't the problem..the problem is I put too much curve into the ribs, thinking that the cover wood would put it straight into the right curve, but no way..these ribs are stronger than the ones in a hawiian airlines 747..*g* maybe i'll cut some slots across the back side like someone would to bend a regular piece of lumber.

[mikeschn]

Steve is right... Here's a profile that you could use. I've exaggerated it a little bit, but you get the idea!



Mike...

Maybe you could make the ribs a little thicker in the center for more strength?
Steve

[Clancy Courtney]

Steve, The hatch looks and fits great. That's a fine tear you're building . Hope I'll get to see it some day.
Clancy